Senate demands Pakistan debt write-off

A unanimous resolution also seeks international investment in projects for flood-hit areas.

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to back a call made by the 123rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting, urging the international community to forgive Pakistan’s debt.

Parliamentarians from around the world had adopted a resolution in the Swiss capital, Geneva, early this month, calling upon the international community to provide Pakistan market access to help revive its sagging economy and invest in the rehabilitation and reconstruction projects for its flood-stricken areas.

Senators Wasim Sajjad, Haroon Akhtar Khan, Safdar Abbasi, Ilyas Bilour, Abbas Khan and Gulshan Saeed commended the efforts undertaken by the Senate chairman and his delegation at the IPU meeting for projecting the national interest.

Taking part in the debate on law and order, Safdar Abbasi called for a precise intelligence-gathering mechanism and concerted policy action to pre-empt terrorist activities. He said there was no unanimity in the policies of Sindh and the Centre as far as the law and order in Karachi is concerned.

Abbas Khan asked the government to remove grievances of the Baloch people so as to maintain peace in the province. He said the Baloch are fighting for their rights.  He claimed that all the aid received through the Kerry-Lugar Bill had gone to Punjab and no other province had benefited from the package.

Ismail Buledi staged a walkout from the house in protest against the increasing kidnapping cases in Balochistan. Speaking on a point of order, Haji Adeel asked the government to stop ‘legalising corruption’ through allotment of plots to judges, generals and journalists.

The house amended the Federal Employees Benevolent Fund (FEBF) and the Group Insurance (GI) Act, 1969. The statement of objectives and reasons says the Board of Trustees of the Federal Employees Benevolent Fund and Group Insurance Funds are not in a position to change rate of subscription and grant towards Benevolent Fund to meet the shortfall due to payouts in excess of inflows. The statement adds that the subscription rates needed to be appropriately enhanced to meet the actuarial present value of future liabilities of the Fund.

It was earlier decided that the schedules of contribution and disbursement of grant towards Benevolent Fund being part of Act may be transferred to and be made part of FEBF and GI Rules, 1972.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2010.